The Secret To A Fruitful Life Series

Most of us would love to be used like Paul, but do we really want to be pruned like Paul?

4. My main responsibility is to remain firmly connected to Jesus

John 15:5 has become one of my life verses. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Apart from Jesus I can’t be loving; apart from Jesus I can’t be joyful, just go down the list of all nine flavors. Jesus said my responsibility is to remain in Him. The KJV says, “Abide.” It’s the word meno, which means, “Stay connected to.” And Jesus used it 10 times in these few verses.

J.C. Ryle captured the idea when he wrote: “When Jesus said, ‘Abide in me’ He meant, ‘Cling to me. Stick fast to me. Live your life in close and intimate communion with me. Cast your whole weight on me. Never let go your hold on me for a moment.”

The best word to describe the relationship of a branch to a vine is dependence. I am dependent on Jesus as the vine to allow His life to flow through me. The branch is just an extension of the vine. Some people reverse that picture and they live like they’re the vine and Jesus is the branch—an attachment to us. We have our plans, our goals, our priorities, and we attach Jesus to our lives. Jesus is a part of your life, like your family, your job, and your hobbies. Jesus doesn’t want to be an attachment to your life; He wants to be your life.

I’ve known a lot of Christians through the years who were struggling and striving and moaning and groaning to life the Christian life. They developed a spiritual hernia from struggling too hard to be fruitful. “Ooooh, I’m going to love that person if it kills me! I’m going to be joyful today if it kills me!” And it almost does. Relax. I’ve spent a good bit of time working on my grapevine, and I’ve never seen one of the branches sweating and groaning to produce a grape. Instead they’re just up there hanging in and hanging out with the vine.

To remain in Christ isn’t some passive act of sitting in a lotus position and going, “ohhhhmm,” and expecting Jesus to just take possession of your personality. It is an active seeking after Jesus with your whole heart. It is staying in constant contact with Him through prayer, through memorizing and quoting scripture. Psalm 1 describes a person who meditates on God’s Word day and night and when he does, he is like a tree planted by the rivers of water whose fruit does not wither. Once you decide to start actively abiding in Christ, you’ll be a busy person. But you won’t be busy doing a hundred different things; you’ll be doing one primary thing—abiding in Jesus.

So starting tomorrow, why don’t you take five minutes in the morning, or at some other time, and simply read God’s Word for that time. Ignore everything else and just imagine yourself stuck into Christ like a branch is stuck into the vine.